Strange behaviour by the BBC's publicity people

I’ve never watched Eastenders and to quote the late Bruce Boa when he appeared as Mr Hamilton in Fawlty Towers, “don’t reckon I ever will either”. For those who do, I wonder how many if any, would have noticed that tonight’s episode features an entirely black cast? Not so now as rather strangely, the BBC have triumphantly announced this ‘landmark’ (their word not mine) before its screening. They go on to say that Patrick (played by Rudolph Walker) will discuss what it was like living as a black man in 1950s Britain and the racism he had to contend with.

Maybe the BBC should take a long hard look at their own publicity department and consider that when Rudolph Walker and the others appearing in tonight’s episode describe their occupation, they simply say ‘actor’. Publicity of the sort shown here by the BBC is patronising to the talent of the actors concerned.


nick

Kelly Groucutt

Managed to find this ELO vid that features Kelly Groucutt who sadly passed away yesterday, more than on any other that's on YouTube. I wore out the groove on my vinyl copy of "A New World Record", one of my first to get replaced by the then new invention of Compact Disc.


nick

Dodgy dealings down at Lords

Now we know why there was a big padlock on the box and the sides were opaque. Just like in the movies when a dodgy deal goes down, dare I suggest there were only $50 bills on the top of each pile and the rest were blanks!


nick

Bobbies on the street isn't rocket science

Congratu-bloody-lations!! This month’s award for stating the obvious goes to Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Tom Brake with “We need officers on the street, not at their desks struggling to complete convoluted tick box forms.” His response came after the Home Secretary announced that a police survey in England and Wales will be scrapped to free up time.

Having wasted two weeks of my past life filling in such a form, I can assure the HS that I only filled it in with how I wanted it to look. If anyone really thought that as I worked a night shift on my own, I accurately reported what I was doing in fine detail, they are too naive for words.

What couldn’t be embellished was the ridiculous amount of time files took to prepare. It doesn’t need Jan Berry to carry out a review or Tom Brake to state the obvious. Here it is pure and simple, appoint civilian file preparation officers to do all the written work. Saved the Government a fortune in consultation fees there. Oh and for a radical view, how about reviewing deals for early guilty pleas. They’re fine, but let’s look at it from the other side, the time waster who runs up the legal aid bill for no other reason than stalling the inevitable, such as Janette Mercer. Her sentence, as all similar staller cases, should reflect not just her guilt of a serious crime, but the ridiculous brinkmanship she’s displayed. If more offenders who ‘know’ they are guilty, take advantage of the early guilty plea option, the CPS in turn would require less file preparation and police resources could then be targeted to more pressing matters. Have that one on me Jacqui!


nick

Pont Hafren, Newtown

It was my pleasure to accompany Joyce Watson AM on a visit to Pont Hafren on Friday. Situated in Longbridge Street, Newtown, it’s far easier to use the link to read about all the good things that are going on there than have me attempt to do them justice. What I can say because it isn’t on the website, is how dedicated the staff are and how the project has a unique and inspirational atmosphere to it.

Many thanks to everyone who made us feel so welcome and long may your success continue.


nick

Koolawala

The time has come, a fact's a fact, it belongs to them, let's give it back!

nick

Courage, beauty and a slice of bad luck

If ever a sports injury was less deserved, it must surely be the one sustained by Lindsey Vonn, the wonderful US skier, who having amazed us with her courage and ability to ski down mountains at 85mph to win 2 World Ski Championship gold medals at Val d'Isere, subsequently cut her hand on a celebratory champagne bottle!
The lady is a stunning athlete and I hope this little setback doesn’t keep her away for too long from the sport she graces with such style, courage and beauty.



nick

You can all suffer Brunstrom at home now!

Why should it be that just us North Walians suffer this intolerable man? Still after the clowns Ross and Brand, I'm delighted to see Radio2 maintains the reputation it’s building for itself. Where’s Jimmy Young when you need him?


nick

Because they're worth it

RBS really have brought all these problems on to themselves. Now I know that in 2007 HBOS paid their then Chief Exec £1.93m, while tight fisted RBS only paid theirs £1.3m ignoring bonuses, it’s obvious. If you pay peanuts, you get......

Sad part is though, it’s the men and women on the pointy bit in the branches that have to deal with the barbed comments from customers!


nick

Seperated at birth?

Charlie Sheen and a moggy from somewhere in the world.


nick

Poacher and gamekeeper, but which is which?

I’m not sure how appropriate 10 days pay is to this case, but I do know I wouldn’t want either of them coming into my house, even if I’d been burgled!

Just as an additional hypothetical question....er what happens next week if either stumble across a case of animal cruelty? More than just a tad hypocritical I suspect.


nick

Shabby practices amongst the Debt Collectors

In 2006 I banged on about the despicable lengths to which debt collectors went, in order to retrieve monies owed. I had been shocked to read some of the methods used against my late mother when we’d cleared up her things. At a meeting in my MP’s office in Portcullis House, we’d met Paul Smee who is Chief Executive of APACS the UK trade association for payments and for those institutions that deliver payment services to customers. He was sympathetic when he read some of the more nasty letters sent to her and noted several of them had crossed the threshold of legality. I went on later to talk to Mr Smee on camera for the television programme I took part on concerning debt and the elderly.

Sadly the same methods are still being employed as BBC1’s Watchdog has been showing over the last few shows. It serves no purpose if these horror stories are shown to shock us all, but nothing is done to curtail these practices. For so called ‘legitimate companies’ to act like back street money lenders is totally unacceptable and tougher legislation should be seen as a matter of urgency. For starters, if these companies will not differentiate between can’t pay and won’t pay, they should be brought to account for the methods they employ in harassing those who are simply caught up in a spiral of debt.


nick

Please stop ruining the game I love

Greavsie was right, “football is a funny old game”. Since I fell in love with it as a young boy, it has changed beyond all recognition. From player’s wages to state of the art stadiums, the game has become a global commodity. Media companies fork out absurd numbers to offer us live coverage and so it was yesterday as the cold outside, not that I needed an excuse, meant I lay on the couch and watched the two Sky games.

What unfortunately hasn’t changed, from the days of Pat Partridge et al, is the standard of refereeing. In fact it has got decidedly worse. Both of yesterday’s games were refereed at a poorer standard than when a van driver from Dover happily kept pace with George Best and Charlie Cooke. Sadly that’s how it will stay too as the standard of management within the various football authorities hasn’t kept pace with the game either. Incompetent administrators will readily accept incompetent refereeing because they are completely oblivious to its consequences. If they did, I certainly know one referee who’d never be allowed onto another pitch again. It was easy to lip read him regularly mouthing “calm down” to players. He was just too stupid to realise it was his appalling decisions that raised their blood pressure in the first place. This fella must hate him beyond belief!


nick